Patriots
Round 1 brought New England its quarterback of the future, but what’s in store for Rounds 2 and 3 on Friday night?
The Patriots addressed their top position of need in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft, taking Drake Maye No. 3 overall.
Heading into the second and third rounds on Friday night, there are still major holes to fill. Arguably New England’s two biggest remaining needs are wide receiver and offensive tackle. Picking high in both rounds, the Patriots have a chance to address both those positions before the end of the night.
As it stands, New England holds picks No. 34 and 68 overall for Friday night. That could change due to trades, though; there are rumors swirling about the Patriots being interested in one of the San Fransisco 49ers star receivers.
Who will the Patriots pick in Round 2? Follow along below for live updates, and view all of New England’s draft selections here.
9:40 p.m.: Patriots select OT Caedan Wallace with No. 68 overall pick
Now, all three of New England’s major positions of need have been addressed in the NFL Draft.
The Patriots used their third round pick to draft an offensive tackle, Caedan Wallace out of Penn State.
8:37 p.m.: WR Adonai Mitchell finally comes off board at pick 52
Adonai Mitchell was projected by most draft experts to be a first-round pick in a stacked WR class. Once Thursday came and went without his name called, the assumption became that Mitchell would be one of the first receivers off the board in Round 2.
Instead, he had to wait a little longer, before the Indianapolis Colts used pick No. 52 on the wideout.
7:52 p.m.: Drake Maye reacts to Patriots WR pick
The Patriots wasted no time adding another weapon for newly-drafted QB Drake Maye. And in turn, Maye didn’t waste any time voicing his excitement over that pick.
Maye took to X (formerly Twitter) to respond to the draft selection of WR Ja’Lynn Polk. “Stud!! Let’s work,” Maye said in his post, followed by a fire emoji.
7:37 p.m.: Patriots select WR Ja’Lynn Polk No. 37 overall
Rather than trading back into the first round for a receiver, New England did the opposite, trading back from No. 34 to 37. The Patriots still wound up with a top-end WR prospect in Ja’Lynn Polk.
Detroit native, Michigan product and current Patriot Mike Onwenu made the pick for New England.
7:23 p.m.: Patriots trade No. 34 overall pick to Chargers
As it turns out, New England won’t be sitting at 34. The Patriots traded down to pick 37, and now also have pick 110.
7:16 p.m.: Round 2 begins, Bills select WR Keon Coleman
The NFL Draft officially resumed, and the Buffalo Bills used the first pick of Round 2 on WR Keon Coleman.
The Patriots are now on the clock at 34.
5:30 p.m.: Latest Patriots trade rumors
Once the 49ers drafted WR Ricky Pearsall No. 31 overall on Thursday night, NFL insiders such as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport suggested that move could be due to San Fransisco preparing to trade one of its wide receivers.
On Thursday night, Brandon Aiyuk’s name was tossed around as the WR that could be traded, and New England reportedly inquired about him. On Friday, though, different reports suggested Deebo Samuel was more likely to be traded, according to Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi. The Patriots were initially reported as an interested team, but Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz followed up the report with another, stating the Patriots were “unlikely” to trade for Samuel.
More NFL Draft coverage
Why C.J. Stroud thinks Drake Maye is the most NFL-ready quarterback in the draft
2024 NFL Draft: Here’s everything that happened in Round 1
Sign up for Patriots updates🏈
Get breaking news and analysis delivered to your inbox during football season.
